Key to my Heart
by Tokyo Rabbit
Summary: All the emotions that she felt for him now, felt for him the first time she laid eyes upon him, the emotions that she would feel for him forever began to break away at the wall she had built up around them to keep herself in control.


*AN: Hello! I really don't feel like writing notes, so if you want to see my inspirations of this fic and why I wrote it, check the end notes. Read on Readers! ~Tokyo Rabbit  
  
* FanficQsandAs@yahoo.com  
  
*Disclaimers: I do not own Sailor Moon.  
  
*Ratings: PG-13 for blood and gore later on-- maybe border line R?, you've been warned; Romance/Action, maybe a little angst? And just a TAD A/U, a mixture of the anime and manga  
  
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The Key to my Heart  
  
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Heart aching and legs pumping, Usagi ran as fast as she could through the city park. Unable to run any longer in the thundering rain, she stopped at a stone bridge that ran over a small river. She staggered over to the white stone railing, baring her sobbing weight against it with her quavering arms.  
  
The rain storm raged on, unnoticed by her. The storm that was raging in her own soft heart was too much for the trifle breeze going on around her. Rain soaked her to the bone and made her quaver violently... or perhaps that was from her heart wrenching sobs that made her shake so.  
  
The storm of anger, love, and sadness nearly crushed the breath from her chest as she slammed her palm down on the railing, "I hate him!"  
  
Salty tears mixed with the vain water that poured from the dark and brooding skys. What she had just said was a lie; she didn't hate him-- she couldn't. What she felt for Chiba Mamoru was far from hate.... So far from hate she could say that she was in love with him.... And her heart knew why she had said it; because of how she was so in love with him and how he felt nothing for her.  
  
A small weak smile spread across Usagi's beautiful face at her ironic situation.  
  
Then, out of no where, the rain stopped. Surprised, she looked up to she an umbrella over her. Her eyes traced along the black billows to the person holding it.  
  
A small gasp escaped from her almost purple lips. It was him! The very person who had driven her into this sad state and nearly over the edge of sanity; Chiba Mamoru. Out from his eyes shone compassion and worry as he looked her over.  
  
"What's wrong Usagi?" His low, rich voice made her shiver, which he suspected was from the cold.  
  
"I-I...." There was no way she could tell him the truth, 'You! What's wrong is you!'  
  
His eyes urged her on gently but she was at a loss for words, "You can tell me anything, Usagi."  
  
Again he called her Usagi, by her name, not Ondango Amata or just Ondango. Hearing it once more she looked up into his midnight blue eyes again.  
  
"You know that right?" He tilted his head down to meet her eyes head on, "You know that you can tell me anything?" Mamoru turned his gaze at the river's surface that was being assaulted by a constant wave of rain, "I'm sorry if I don't show it much, but I'm someone you can confide in."  
  
Usagi's heart swelled and a new wave of tears began to flow down her soft face, "Thank you...." So she would say it after all? Her crystal blue eyes swung away from his towering figure, "I-- I'm in love...."  
  
Unknown to her, hearing that from Usagi hit a secret cord in Mamoru's heart. 'Strange,' he thought. Hearing that should not have disturbed him in any way, so he looked at her with a kind, brotherly smile, "Congratulations, Usagi-chan."  
  
She was deaf to anything that he said as she waged a war with her heart to tell him everything. Her hands that lay so roughly on the stone railing were now clenched into fists as she struggled to go on, looking at the raging river surface, "And I think he hates me...."  
  
Seeing her begin to shiver again, even under the protection of his umbrella, Mamoru tugged at her arm, "Let's go somewhere warm and talk about this?"  
  
But she would not budge, "So that's why I'm sad...."  
  
"Usagi-chan, let's go get some hot chocolate, hmm?" He said as a big brother would to his little sister.  
  
Her usually sparkling eyes looked up at him, seeming so hollow but filled with sorrow and pain, "Don't you get it?"  
  
'This is it Usagi!' Her mind screamed and she jerked away from him and out into the rain... a few good feet away from him, "Don't you get it at all?"  
  
All the emotions that she felt for him now, felt for him the first time she laid eyes upon him, the emotions that she would feel for him forever began to break away at the wall she had built up around them, to keep herself in control. Her lower lip quivered and she shut her eyes tight to avoid his gaze, "It's you, you fool! I love you!"  
  
That statement hit Mamoru like a ton of bricks and he felt no less than a ton. His eyes were wide in surprise and his mouth was open in speechless shock. What did she just say?  
  
"And I hate you for that! Why is it that I love you so much while you feel nothing for me! I hate you because I love you and I can't get over you! You're the only thing I think about now a days! I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on you that I would fall for you!"  
  
His head spun and his heart pounded. What was she saying?! Was she ill?  
  
"I get so angry at you because you affect me like no one ever has! And-- and," Usagi was now rambling, everything was pouring out, flooding all her senses, "And I don't know why I love you so! You're an arrogant jerk who can't see past his own nose to see the girls' hearts that he breaks or how he hurts them! I love you Chiba Mamoru and I hate you for that...." Her voice trailed off as she finally had the courage to open her eyes.  
  
Usagi saw him standing there, drenched in the summer storm's furry; he had dropped his umbrella in compete shock. She could not see his features to determine whether he hated her now or not because his head was titled down slightly and making his raven hair fall wetly into his face, causing shadows to cast over his handsome face.  
  
A few moments of heart breaking silence passed and Usagi finally realized what she had just done. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth as she gasped and her eyes widened, "I'm sorry."  
  
She sobbed her apology and ran from him, the one that she loved. The forest-like park loomed over her and darkened as she ran future along the cement path, weeping. Why had she done that? His presence had been bothering her for a long while now.... Especially when she had realized that she was in love with him. Although, for the life of her, she could not understand why she loved him so. There was something about him that she just couldn't get enough of, making her want to be in his company always, whether it be by friendship or courtship; it mattered not to her, even though she preferred the latter.  
  
Usagi did not stop running until she reached her home. Soaking wet and exhausted from her emotional and physical strain, she rushed past her prodding parents and her teasing sibling. She gratefully closed her bedroom door behind her and breathed a quavering sigh as she flung herself across her comfortable bed, waking Luna.  
  
"What's going on?" The black cat yawned.  
  
"I told him, Luna-chan," Usagi sighed as folded her arms under her chin, "I told Mamoru that I love him."  
  
"What?!" That woke her up.  
  
Luna had been the victim of Usagi's pining over the high school having to hear every thought she had about the young man. In fact, she was worried about Usagi; her opinions of him were not that of a giddy teenage girl who was in 'love' but actual insights on who he was and why she loved him. She saw Usagi blossoming into a young woman truly in love....  
  
"What did he say?" Her feline friend asked.  
  
"I don't know-- I ran away before I could hear what he had to say.... He probably hates me...."  
  
Luna walked over to her and placed a soft paw on her blonde head, "I'm sure he doesn't."  
  
Usagi sat up and looked down at her guardian cat and smiled! "But I'm glad I got it all out in the open. I may not be able to face him ever again, but at least he knows now so I'll be able to move on! Right?"  
  
A weary smile spread across her face; she knew that Usagi would most likely never heal completely from her first love and first rejection. But no matter what, she would be there for her friend.  
  
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AN: THE END! Yay I finally finished another fan fic! Did you guys like it? Kekeke. `^.^'~ Just kidding! I'm done with ya yet! Just thought I'd tease you a bit! ~Tokyo Rabbit  
  
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Mamoru still stood in the rain, looking after Tsukino Usagi. He was in a complete state of shock....  
  
The gray sky above slowly parted to reveal a star-studded velvet night and seeing how late it had gotten, he began to trudge home and try and sort things out. However, he didn't get to far when a sharp pain hit him in the gut, almost making him double over, "Sailor Moon...!"  
  
In an instant a dashing young count wearing an elegant tuxedo and a white mask replaced the young man in slacks and blue shirt. He took his skull tipped cane in his hand and smirked to himself, "Such an adventurous day...."  
  
Then ran into the depths of the park, following the feeling in his chest to find Sailor Moon/Tsukino Usagi. Yes, Tuxedo Kamen knew who Sailor Moon really was even though the Senshi of love and justice had silver hair and Usagi gold. He had seen her transform a couple of times, but even if he had not seen that, her crystal blue eyes would have given it away.... Every time he looked in them, she poured her soul out to him and he took it all in curiosity and fright.  
  
She gave him her entire heart every time they saw each other, with or without masks, and it scared him to death. Never had he known such love due to his emotional detachment from the world.  
  
He came upon the battle scene. Sailor Moon fighting off a large, no, mammoth youma that resembled something like a yeti. It had seemed that the rest of the Senshi had just arrived and were having difficulty keeping him at bay.  
  
'Time to go to work,' Tuxedo Kamen held his black cane towards his chest as his other gloved hand grasped the skull, turning it into an elegant, silver handle. He moved his hand towards the clear sky, pulling a long, courtly sword out of the cane-seethe. Once free of it's case, he sliced the air before him expertly, causing the weapon to sing, then threw the cane to the ground.  
  
Sailor Moon dodged the youma's large claws again and again, getting slower each time. "Ah!" She winced as he grazed her side, tearing the white material and her flesh.  
  
"Sailor Moon! Shabon Spray!" Sailor Mercury sent a cold, chilling fog to surround Sailor Moon and the monster.  
  
Mars ran over to her wounded friend, took a hold of her, and then leaped out of the blanket of mist with Sailor Moon, "Clear!"  
  
"Supreme Thunder!" An instant storm appeared over head and sent a rage of thunder down to the Earth to the lightening rod-- the youma.  
  
The mist slowly cleared away, showing that the monstrosity had not been effected by the thunder-based attack; it seemed to feed it for it had grown larger in size and in brutality.  
  
"I thought for sure...." The tall brunette Senshi took a step back in surprise. She had not expected the youma to feed off of the intense energy.  
  
The mysterious count, seeing that their team efforts failed, stepped in. His heavy cape flapped silently behind him as he walked between the Senshi and the creature with his sword pointed down in a fencing style. He had hoped that they would have been able to handle it on their own.  
  
Looking upon the green, furry, fanged, clawed, drooling monster, he felt one of his famous lines coming to mind, "Love is a radiant rose that blooms over and over again, never to be snuffed out," he moved his gloved hand up, causing the sword to vertically point to the sky, "I, the Rose Knight, will pass judgment upon you!"  
  
Sailor Moon, still leaning in the arms of Mars, looked at her savior of many of a time and took a little comfort in his words. Her crystal blue eyes watched him fence with agility, keeping the monster at bay. His movements were so fluid and cat-like... as if it were some tedious duty to perform instead of some great feet. It awed her, that dance of death....  
  
The pain from her wound seared through her side and she winced once again as she kept her gloved hand over the slash. Sailor Moon's eyes began to water and she tried to keep her vision in focus; as she watched the masked man fight the youma, her imagination took advantage of her blurry vision, 'He looks like Mamo-chan....'  
  
"Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!" Tuxedo Kamen held out a gloved hand and sent a deadly, blinding blast of his golden energy towards the monster.  
  
It howled in pain and covered it's face, the hit target, and stumbled back in pain. The young man smirked in satisfaction as the thing wailed in pain and eased from his offensive ((TR: Not as in crude, but as in attacking)) stance.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen turned around and looked at Sailor Moon with soft, half closed eyes. His voice was almost a purr when he spoke to her, "It is your turn... Sailor Moon...."  
  
She wrinkled her nose slightly to pier closely at him for there was something in his eyes and voice that made her feel safe and cradled, just as if he were holding her closely to his heart. It was some how very familiar... Coming out of her thoughts, she pushed off Mars, with the violet haired girl's help, and staggered towards the masked man.  
  
He looked her over as she stood before him, holding her side and breathing heavily. Was she wounded? Or just drained? Something inside of him urged him to scoop her up into his arms and hold her closely, to heal, protect, and love her... love her?!  
  
Her eyes grew wide, causing him to turn back to the youma. It had fully recovered and was now charging towards him for revenge.  
  
Moments seemed to slow to hours as Sailor Moon saw the monster charge towards Tuxedo Kamen. As she watched, something inside of her heart and mind released, or untangled it's self from her innocence of everything about the man before her, causing her to leap forward.  
  
"Watch out, Mamo-chan!" She pushed him out of the way, letting her become the youma's victim.  
  
Not caring who's flesh it tasted, the monster brutally grabbed the young girl up in his large, very large, claws-- one, to the horror of the onlookers, penetrated through her chest, and the other wrapping around her slim waist.  
  
"Ahh!" Her eyes flung open and her mouth let out a staccato cry of anguish, omitting some blood in the process.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen stumbled slightly and recovered from the great shove and once he turned again, sword ready, he could not believe what his eyes!! Sailor Moon was hanging limply on it's claws, which went through her torso! The youma brought her torn body closely towards it's face and began to greedily lick her wounds for the detached flesh and warm blood that poured out of her.  
  
He nearly dropped his sword in horror.  
  
Mars stepped forward with tears streaming down her face, like the other Senshi, but was held back by Jupiter, "Sailor Moon!"  
  
"We can't afford to hit her!" Jupiter wept, "Let her go you monster!"  
  
Her eyes were closed and her mouth was closed tight as she ground her teeth together to try and ignore the unbearable pain. A small groan-like whimper escaped from her as some reply of her consciousness and awareness of her friends.  
  
As Tuxedo Kamen watched the life drain from her face, he felt weaker and weaker. It was as if he were the one being devoured and drained. He had to do something!  
  
"Venus Love-me Chain!" A voice cried in desperation from the night and a glowing, gold chain wrapped around the youma's neck.  
  
As the mystery chain tightened around it's breathing channel, it flung it's hand down, causing Sailor Moon to fly to the ground a good few feet away from him. It's bloody hands flew up to pull at the chain for some relief, but found none.  
  
The holder of the chain walked forward, holding the glowing weapon tightly in her hands, pulling back. She was wearing a Senshi fuku!  
  
"Keep away from her!" The mystery girl growled.  
  
"A Senshi?" Mercury gasped.  
  
"Quick!" She commanded, followed by an attack from Mars, finishing off the monstrosity.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen rushed to Sailor Moon's side as soon as she hit the ground. He kneeled beside her and took her torso in his strong arms not noticing her blood soaking his tuxedo and staining his skin, "Sailor Moon...."  
  
The girl stirred and slowly opened her eyes. Her skin was ghostly white and it seemed that she had difficulty keeping her heavily lashed eyelids opened, "Mamo-chan?"  
  
His lower lip quavered at her frailty. He was loosing her! "Yes, it's me.... I'm here..."  
  
A weak smile spread across her face as she reached a bloody, gloved hand up slowly and pulled of his mask and was heartened that he let her. She laughed quietly, "I thought that I'd never be able to face you again after today...."  
  
Mamoru held the quaking girl as gently as possible and let an empty, quavering laugh escape his lips, "Oh come on, you know it's destiny for us to bump into each other in the mornings...."  
  
Her rosy pink lip trembled and tears welled up in her eyes, "I only wish that we could have... found out differently...."  
  
"Don't worry too much about it.... We just need to... go and get you fixed up now...." He felt his own eyes grow moist.  
  
When was the last time he had ever cried? He remembered.... After he learned of his parent's death from the doctors he cried himself to sleep every night for almost a year in loneliness. It was all an eight-year-old could do in such a hopeless situation. But then, he met a little angel with an ondango hair style who took away his pain when she smiled innocently at him.... That day when he met her, her skipping along with her mother and him sitting on a park bench as the other orphanage children played together, was the last he ever cried for nearly ten years now.  
  
"It's so cold...." He saw her white skin slowly turn to a pale blue, "But that's okay, Mamo-chan..." she coughed, spitting out blood, "... because I--I lived my life and I was able to experience the most wonderful thing in the world.... Love-- even-- even though you m-might not l-love me bac-k...."  
  
Her words were like a sword-- cutting true and deep into his emotions. Her voice was so soft and sure... how could he not believe that it was love that she spoke of! He held her closer as she began to shake even more and looked up helplessly at the Senshi that gathered around them, tears pouring down their faces for their fallen friend.  
  
His frantic look set back to her, Tsukino Usagi. As her life rapidly began to fade, she kept her eyes locked with his. A strange certainty was planted firmly within them. There she was, dying in his arms, offering the key to her heart for the very last time.... Was he ready for it?  
  
A tear escaped from Mamoru's usually emotionless eyes and slid slowly down his bloody cheek, "Usagi, don't do this to me.... You can't leave us all here!"  
  
That plea was confirmed by the cries of her Senshi and their prayers for any glimmer of hope of her surviving her mortal wounds....  
  
"Usagi-chan!"  
  
"Please don't...."  
  
"Oh God, please help her! You can't do this to us!"  
  
"Usagi, hang in there! You have to!!"  
  
"Usagi-chan... no.... This can't be happening...."  
  
Sailor Moon felt it, the icy grip of the angel of death slowly closing in on her, and tears began to pour down her face, washing some of the blood away; but never the less, she gave them a smile, "I'm sorry everyone... I love you all.... Tell my family that it's okay-- and that I love them.... I love you... Mamo-chan...."  
  
Mamoru choked as the figure fell limp in his hold, "Usagi...?"  
  
"No!" Mercury cried, falling to her knees.  
  
"Usagi!!" Mars screeched, unbelieving that her friend had gone.  
  
Jupiter was too stunned to say a word. She just looked upon the lifeless figure, ran a hand through her auburn hair, and also, slowly, fell to her knees.  
  
The new comer also had tears running down her face, "I came too late...."  
  
Tuxedo Kamen was too numb to notice the two new faces on the scene, Luna, Usagi's cat, and a white cat called Artemis.  
  
"Usagi-chan! No! What happened to her?! Tell me!" Luna screamed with tears falling down her furry face.  
  
The male cat sad down next to Luna and looked at the girl in disbelief, "No...."  
  
Mamoru's mind spun as he still held Usagi.... What just happened? Hurricane Usagi couldn't be gone... there was no possible way! A day ago-- just minutes ago she was brimming with energy and life to spare! And even then, in her last moments she had been pouring her heart out to him, and was okay with the thought of her love being unrequited?!  
  
No! He wouldn't believe it! She was NOT gone! Not his Usagi!  
  
He shut his eyes tight and grasped the corpse of the girl to his chest almost violently, holding her tightly there, "USAKO!!!"  
  
A bright, blinding light omitted from the enraged young man, consuming them all.  
  
|_[_|____@  
  
'Where am I? What's going on?'  
  
*Silly, this is your mind's eye....*  
  
Mamoru opened his eyes and looked around. There was nothing but a warm, golden light all around him. In emotionless curiosity, he looked down at himself. He was not in his tuxedo or covered in the blood of his beloved... he was now wearing a prince-like tunic of a dark blue fabric in a combination with golden armor.  
  
'Usako... is dead....' Saying those words, caused his heart to break again.  
  
*Usako?*  
  
'Mm. It's a name I gave to her as she died in my arms.... My little rabbit....'  
  
*Yours?*  
  
'I say she is mine... because I love her... with all my being.' He cringed, 'I only wished I would have told her before she left me....'  
  
*Left you?* The musical voice laughed softly, *Silly, I'll never leave you....*  
  
Mamoru opened his eyes and her standing there! In front of him in a dress made of pearls and silver, smiling!  
  
*You can't get rid of me that easily, Endymion....* She smiled, winking.  
  
Not wanting to question anything further, for it did not matter any to him at that time what she had just called him, he held out his hand and grasped her silky one in his. With a sly smile on his face, he pulled her gently to him. With her against his chest, he titled up her chin with his hand under it, and leaned down....  
  
As their lips brushed, everything that he had felt for her the moment he saw her became apparent. He was deeply in love with her and there was nothing in the world that could change that, he knew that now.  
  
Not only were his emotions for here unlocked, but so were their memories! Memories of the past came flooding back! It was almost too much for them. He, Prince Endymion, and her, Princess Serenity, had a forbidden love which caused their deaths in the distant past... to be reborn in the present to find each other, and to love each other....  
  
|_[_|____@  
  
Again he opened his eyes to find Sailor Moon standing in front of him, alive! So it wasn't a delusion!  
  
She smiled at him and placed a hand on her forehead, showing that her tiara was replaced by the Moon's Royal Family's symbol, a crescent moon, "We've awakened!"  
  
He nearly nodded, smiling.  
  
Then her hand moved down to her chest, holding a silver, crystal flower. Mamoru knew it to be the Silver Imperium Crystal-- the most powerful heart in the world, along with his...?!  
  
He looked down to see himself holding the same exact flower, but it was gold, "The Golden Imperium Crystal...."  
  
'That's right,' he remembered now. Prince Endymion had his Golden Crystal, while Princess Serenity had her Silver Crystal....  
  
Sailor Moon walked over to the new Senshi that knelt before her, "Sailor Venus... Leader of the Sailor Senshi. It is good to see you again...."  
  
Sailor Venus cringed at her words, "I am sorry! I failed you!"  
  
"How?" Usagi smiled.  
  
"I came too late, I could not protect you!"  
  
"Stand.... It is all right...." She looked at the rest of her astonished, but elated Senshi, "Everything is all right."  
  
|_[_|____@  
  
"Usako! Hurry or you'll be late!" Mamoru stood on the side walk outside of the Tsukino household.  
  
"Coming, Mamo-chan!" And the blonde girl blazed out of the house and locked arms with him, "Let's go!"  
  
They had made a promise to walk to her school every morning, seeing how his classes started half an hour later. They walked and talked, both smiling, happy at last... finding themselves in each other.  
  
Mamoru smiled at the beautiful girl smiling up at him. She was his, and he was hers.... At first when she had looked at him that way, with such love in her eyes, he had been scared out of his wits of her unbiased affection. But then, when he was there, holding her as she died from protecting him... something inside of him reassured him that it was okay for him to love her in return... to hold the key to her heart as she did his....  
  
Nothing would change that. Ever.  
  
|_[_|____@  
  
TR: Well! Well! Wadya think? I mainly wrote it for the beginning part when Usagi pours her heart out to Mamoru because I knew how she felt, to have unrequited love. Don't we all? But don't worry about me minna-san! Everything in my life right now is peachy keen! Then I began to twist the story line a bit and who they were, like Mamoru calling himself the 'Rose Knight.' I suppose it's because I had just got done with watching the movie Utena? But I really had the idea for his sword cane for a while, so it just kinda pushed it. I hope I didn't gross you guys out too much with the blood and all... icky. In fact, when the Senshi were crying out for Usagi, I almost started to cry as I wrote it! So sad.... But it ended okay, right? I dunno, it's up to you, ne? Hee! Ja! ~ Tokyo Rabbit  
  
I do not own Utena either.  
  
4-5-02  
  
FanficQsandAs@yahoo.com  
  
Fanfiction.net  
  
Mediaminer.org 


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